Vacuum pneumatic conveying apparatus and methods have been utilized in the past to convey food products. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,614,167 William C. Patterson illustrated and described his vacuum pneumatic conveying apparatus, which also utilized water to eventually receive the conveyed fish and to air seal the discharge end of his chamber, through which the fish were conveyed. Earlier Wallace N. Merrick in his U.S. Pat. No. 3,226,164 disclosed his vacuum pneumatic conveying apparatus which likewise utilized water to eventually receive the conveyed fish and to air seal the discharge fish conveyor located at the end of his chamber.
Mr. Takeshi Hayashi in his U.S. Pat. No. 3,871,332 discloses his fish transfer apparatus wherein vacuum pneumatic conveying apparatus conveys both fish and water, as the air flow is commenced with fish already in the water.
Also Temco Pneumatic Systems in Bellevue, Wash. have used and are using vacuum pneumatic conveying apparatus, not employing water seals as disclosed by Messrs. Patterson and Merrick, but instead using air locks. Once the food products, such as fish, are conveyed to a particular locale, via a vacuum air flow, the air flow is directed so the food products are separated out. Such separation occurs in a cyclone type separator and in the past few years in what is called an in line product flow or straight through product flow separator.
There remained a need, however, for providing improved vacuum pneumatic conveying apparatus which like the early Temco Pneumatic Systems are essentially pneumatic, not relying on water to create air seals nor to stop the food product, possibly only utilizing water, when needed, as a lubricant within a conduit.